Greipel Wins Tour Of Turkey Stage 3

Last updated : 26 April 2016 By TOTPO

At the end of a straight, flat, very wet and, above all, windy stage, after which the winner would say, “The wind was so strong that at times, it was hard just to stay on the bike", Germany's André Greipel (Lotto Soudal) won stage 3, the Vestel Aksaray - Konya Stage (158.9 km), of the Presidential Tour of Turkey today. It was Greipel's 11th win at TUR, a new mark for the record number of stage wins that he already held. 

Challenging weather conditions early in the stage led to a split in the peloton. Pello Bilbao (Caja Rural – Seguros RGA), 2nd in GC, and three of his team-mates, made the lead group. Race leader Przemys©©aw Niemiec (Lampre – Merida) missed the split, and conceded both the race lead and more than 25 minutes. Three Caja Rural – Seguros RGA now fill the top three positions in the General Classification. 

(Photo credit: Tour of Turkey/Brian Hodes)

Stage 3 result
1. André Greipel (Lotto Soudal) 158.9 km in 3h48'33", ave. 41.72 kph
2. Alberto Cecchin (Tema Roth) in s.t.
3. Kris Boeckmans  (Lotto Soudal) in s.t.

GC standings post-Stage 3
1. Pello Bilbao (Caja Rural – Seguros RGA) 
2. José Gonçalves (Caja Rural – Seguros RGA) 
3. David Arroyo (Caja Rural – Seguros RGA)

The Jerseys post-Stage 3
SporToto Turquoise Jersey (Race leader): Pello Bilbao (Caja Rural – Seguros RGA) 
Turkish Airlines Red Jersey (Mountains): Rémy Di Gregorio (Delko Marseille Provence KTM)
Vestel White Jersey (Beauties of Turkey Sprints): Lluís Mas (Caja Rural – Seguros RGA)
Salcano Green Jersey (Sprints): José Gonçalves (Caja Rural – Seguros RGA)

RIDER COMMENTS:
SporToto Turquoise Jersey (Race leader) Pello Bilbao (Caja Rural – Seguros RGA):

Q: We didn't expect to see you so soon. 
A: Nor me!
"We thought that it would be a dangeorus stage because of the weather and the wind, but we didn't expect that we would start like that. Lotto started the race really aggressively, and all the race was full gas to the end. They did an impressive job and I have to give them my congratulations because they did really impressive work. 
"At first we didn't have the information because the radio wasn't working really well, so we wanted to go in a rhythm not to lose too much time in the front group, and when we knew there was no one dangerou s ther, we went more calm. but there was some team-mates whop had too much gas and they wanted to go really fast. I would have rpreferred to go more easily, but in the end we did 160km full gas.
"Looking at today's stage, we can never say that GC is done because until the last day anything can happen. We have to continue like that. We have a great responsability now. We have to go day by day, control the  race, and we hope that in the 6th stage, we can be there in the top, and at least one of us can be with the jersey.
"Today was a really hard day. We didn't expect such a hard day and we know that tomorrow we are going to have sore legs. We expected to do a more relaxed stage tomorrow. We'll see if the wind is weaker. Then the next two days, we hope to have a sprint day with no surprises.
 

(Photo credit: Tour of Turkey/Brian Hodes)

Stage winner André Greipel (Lotto Soudal): "For sure it was an advatnage for us that we are used to riding in echelons. In the beginning it was a bit of a mess. It was super windy, rain... Adam and me were a bit stuck behind, 20-30m behind my team mates. I waited a bit, then we went again in the echelon. In the end, we forced the others to ride with us. Thanksfully everyone was working quite quickly in our dgroup, Then, with 25km to go, we tried one more time. it was a nice team effort."
"It's a shame that just one of us can stay on the podium. I tried to convince my DS to let somebody else win. He said, we had a plan this morning, the plan was winning the race with me, and we should stick to it. My team-mates supported me during the stage. I'm happy with the win. Emotionally, I wanted to give the win to Kris Boeckmans because he has come a long way to get back into condition. We can be proud that he is able to be there with us today."
"Everybody knows that, when it's raining, the roads are slippery here. It was a bit of a mess coming out of the city. The bunch was lined up .We stayed togather and tried to force a small group. It worked out. I think we were 25 guys, we worked together, quite good. 65-70km fighting with a 1 minute advantage. Then we succeeded. The group behind us sat up, and we could ride all together towards the finish. The wind was so strong at times, it was hard just to stay on the bike."
"We are here to try to do our best and there are a few more chances to win another stage, and that's what we are trying to do."

 

(Photo credit: Tour of Turkey/Brian Hodes)

Second placed Alberto Cecchin (Team Roth): “My stage result couldn’t be any better than this against such a strong Lotto-Soudal team. Beating André Greipel would have been difficult if not impossible. It’s a good performance for my team, for our sponsors and our directors. Exactly one year ago, we were riding the [UCI 2.2] Tour de Bretagne. In terms of category of racing, this is the best result of my career so far. With my team-mate [Nicola Toffali], we stayed near Lotto-Soudal because we could feel that sooner or later they’d create one more echelon. We were ready!”

 

(Click through for Hi Res. Photo credit: Tour of Turkey/Brian Hodes)

Third placed Kris Boeckmans (Lotto-Soudal): “It’s been a race from the start right till the very end! I’ve saved myself to come up with the third place that means a lot to me. It’s been almost nine months since my crash at the Vuelta a España. A baby also takes nine months to gestate. My rebirth also took nine months. The weather conditions enabled us to ride like that as a team. We pulled as hard as possible for five minutes to create that front group, then with 25km to go, we did it again the same way the whole team together. For me, it was close, I’ve been the last one to make the first split.”

Beauties of Turkey leader Lluis Mas (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA): “Every day the Tour of Turkey is a new battle this year! Nobody could have ever thought the race would be so eventful. It’s crazy to think that the breakaway went from the first kilometers till the end. Lotto-Soudal kept going faster and faster. They told people to help them, which was the way to bring the breakaway successfully to the finish. There are a lot of minutes between the different groups, it’s unbelievable. I didn’t imagine I’d increase my lead in the beauties of Turkey classification this way but it’s great. There are five more days to go. If it’s the same kind of racing every day, it’s difficult to think of the general classification even if we’re so well placed as a team now.”

How it happened
Light rain began to fall as the peloton started the neutralised section. As km 0 was announced, at 12.49 p.m., the drama began. With strong north-westerlies creating sidewinds from the right hand side, a crash took place involving Simone Petilli, one of race leader Przemys©©aw Niemiec (Lampre – Merida)'s key mountain helpers.

As Lotto Soudal forced the pace, the peloton split into three parts. initially there were 38 riders in the first part, although the pressure exerted by the Belgian team meant that riders were being continually shed from the front group. The second group followed at 20, then 35, then 45, then 55 seconds. By 1305 hrs, 24 riders in the leading group, 13 riders @ 40 seconds, with the main group peloton at 55s.

The 24 members of G1 included the entire Lotto Soudal team, including 15, Adam Hansen (LTS), 17th in GC this morning at 2'28”, plus the sprinters Greipel, Boeckmans and Henderson; four Caja Rural – Seguros RGA riders, including: Pello Bilbao (CJR), yesterday's stage winner and 2nd in GC this morning at 6”; José Gonçalves (CJR), 2nd in Sunday's stage, 2nd yesterday, the Points competition leader and 3rd in GC this morning at 11”; David Arroyo (CJR), 6th in GC this morning at 19”; and Lluís Mas (CJR), the Beauties of Turkey competition leader and 14th in GC this morning at 1'20s”. Also, Nikita Stalnov (TSE), 9th in GC this morning at 28” and two other TSE riders, one of them being Maxim Satlikov.

Setting aside the second group, the third group in the road included race leader, Przemys©©aw Niemiec (Lampre – Merida), and his team-mate Ilia Koshevoy; Sylwester Szmyd (CCC Sprandi Polkowice), 10th this morning, and his team-mate Davide Rebellin, mountain stage winner last year; Quentin Pacher (Delko Marseille Provence KTM), 5th in GC this morning, and his team-mate Rémy Di Gregorio, wearing the Turkish Airlines King of the Mountains red jersey.
 

(Photo credit: Tour of Turkey/Brian Hodes)

After 21 km, the leading group had a 40” advantage over the main group. The gap extended to 1 minute. 

The first Intermediate sprint took place at km 43.1, in the village of Sultanhan©¥, the site of the largest caravanserai in Turkey, built in 1229, with its 13m-high marble gate and ornamented vaulting.

Intermediate Sprint (km 43.1, Sultanhan©¥) 
1. (5 pts) 118 Maxim Satlikov (TSE)
2. (3 pts) 16 Greg Henderson (TLS)
3. (1 pt) 14 André Greipel (TLS)

Despite being buffeted by sidewinds and made sodden by rain, the lead group completed no less than 52 kms in the first hour of racing. The first chasing group lay at 1'10” and the second chasing group at 2'45”. The time gap to G2 quickly widened to 1'25”, and the last group, G3, at 4'10”, and then 5'.

At km 70, just before the feedzone, a new time gap came through: 2'35”. The gap had stuck, and there would assuredly be a change of leader. At km 80: after a crash, Jelle Wallays (LTS) rejoined the front group. Soon afterwards, the gaps were 3'30” for G2, and over 7' for G3.

At km 80, G2 was at 3'40”, and G3 at 8'10”.

Beauties of Turkey Sprint (km 96.5)
1. (5 pts) Lluís Mas (CJR)
2. (3 pts) Maxim Satlikov (TSE)
3. (1 pt) Massimo Graziato (PVC)

Mas, already leading the competition despite parity on points with Grosu (NIP), took a 5 point lead in that competition. Satlikov, the winner of the intermediate sprint at km 43.1, showed some spriteliness in taking second place.

50km to go: G2 were at 5'30”, and G3 at something over 13'.

By the intermediate sprint with 35.7 km to go, G2 was languishing at 6'30”

Intermediate Sprint (km 122.4)
1. (5 pts) Maxim Satlikov (TSE) 
2. (3 pts) José Gonçalves (CJR)
3. (1 pt) Nikita Stalnov (TSE)

Gonçalves, first across the line, was judged to have left his line and relegated to 2nd place. Nonetheless, he extended his lead in that competition to 4 points over Przemys©©aw Niemiec (LAM).

With 30 km to go, the gap between groups 1 and 2 was stable, a few seconds either side of 7'. 

Just inside the final 28 km, after a long consultation between Greg Henderson and the team car, Lotto Soudal halved the width of the echelon. Within seconds, riders were being dropped from the lead group: first was Lluís Mas, then Mikel Aristi Gardoki (DMP).

With 26 km to go, the lead group consisted of six Lotto Soudal riders, Broeckx, Dockx, Frison, Greipel, Henderson and Boeckmans, two Team Roth riders, Alberto Cecchin and Nicola Toffali, and Enrique Sanz of Southeast – Venezuela. Sadly for Lotto Soudal's GC hopes, Hansen had been unable to make the leading split.

With 25.7 km to go, Sanz touched a wheel and fell. 

The chasing group was now: 

3 Roberto Ferrari (LAM)
15 Adam Hanson (LTS)
21 Pello Bilbao (CJR)
22 J. Gonçalves (CJR)
25 D. Arroyo (CJR)
26 Lluís Mas (CJR)
66 Riccardo Stacchiotti (NIP)
93 Adrian Banaszek (VAT)
115 Nikita Stalnov (TSE)
118 Maxim Satlikov (TSE) 
131 Massimo Graziato (PVC)

19km to go: The Lotto Soudal-heavy front group let the Caja Rural-heavy chasing group by 29”.
17km to go: 45”.
15km to go: 49”.

Maxim Satlikov (TSE) was dropped from the second group with 15km to go. 

`The gap:
13km: 50”
12km: 54”
10km: 1'07”
9km: 1'15”
8km: 1'19”
7km: 1'19”
5km: 1'32”
4km: 1'39”
3km: 1'43”
2km: 1'50”
1km: 2'00”

Faced with the conundrum of winning a stage with 6 riders and 2 interlopers, Greipel led the sprint out from the front, and kept leading out until he had crossed the line first. After the stage, he explained that he tried to convince his directeur sportif to allow him to gift the win to a team-mate, but his was under orders to take the win himself. Alberto Cecchin took second place, and Kris Boeckmans third. 

When Pello Bilbao crossed the line 2'14" later, it was to take the leader's jersey. Former race leader Przemys©©aw Niemiec (Lampre - Merida) finished at more than 25'